Redemption of the All Spark
by unicorn-skydancer08
Summary: Megatron steals the all-powerful All-Spark, by means of compromise and manipulation. Now, Melly and the Autobots must work together to get it back, if they are to save themselves, and the world, from an unspeakable fate.
1. Chapter 1: The Conspiracy

**REDEMPTION OF THE ALL-SPARK**

_My first attempt at a full-fledged "Transformers" story, with actual chapters. Hopefully, this will work out. (Got my fingers crossed, and essentially everything else I've got.)_

_As I'm still a bit of a Transformers rookie, it'd be really great if you cut me some slack, especially in your reviews. I know this isn't __exactly__ like the series, but hey, this is why they call this "fan fiction", right? You can tweak a few things here and there in order to make your story work, right? I do try to keep the overall personalities of the characters the same, however. _

_Now, this takes place after the original series ends; you could say it continues where the last episode left off. Skipping the innumerable details, Megatron has escaped and rejoined his advocates, and for this, I brought back a few characters that were offline in the show. They are Transformers, after all, and as you Transformers devotees know, they're often known to cheat death. Being a robot does have its advantages, as well as disadvantages. My OC Melly will be in this story for sure; she'll play a very significant role, and naturally, that means Blurr will be in here, too. Yes, Blurr does come back. Contrary to what some people say, I say Blurr is alive (still had his Spark, didn't he?), and though it's never displayed on-screen, I firmly believe they find some way to help him. _

_Those people left a lot of loose ends when the show came to a close…too many, from the way I see it._

**

* * *

Characters (with exceptions) © Hasbro and Entertainment Rights**

**Story © unicorn-skydancer08**

_**All rights reserved. **_

**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Conspiracy**

In his dark, gloomy chamber of his private lair, Megatron awaited the arrival of his subsidiaries. Due to the dimness of the room, the details of the evil Decepticon's face were mostly obscured—but his eyes, which were a malevolent red, blazed through the shadows like a pair of smoldering coals. Alongside him, Starscream stood by, looking every bit as imposing as his master, his blood-red eyes blazing just as brightly, with the same flame of malice. "Why not just use the human girl, my liege?" he asked Megatron, in his seedy voice. "She is our best link to our adversaries. Surely, we could persuade her to lend us a hand…or two." At that last bit, he wielded one of his ray cannons on his forearm, and waved it around emphatically.

Recalling Melly Manchester, the young human from Earth who sided with their sworn enemies, the Autobots, Megatron replied concisely, "That girl is stronger than we gave her credit for, Starscream. I underestimated that miserable little brat once; that is a mistake I am determined to never make again. We could never sway her, even with a thousand Decepticons, or every last weapon in our arsenal. She would rather die than betray those accursed Autobots." He shook his head, which was already hideous enough without his helmet, whose pointed edges gave off the impression of jagged teeth. "No. For this, we need someone with less backbone. We need someone who is much more pliant, more malleable, more…_cooperative._"

Right at that moment, heavy footsteps sounded, and Waspinator, Blitzwing, Lugnut, and Shockwave entered the vast chamber.

"Have you brought the victim?" Megatron inquired of them, the second his glaring optics centered on them.

"We have, Lord Megatron," rumbled Shockwave.

Then Blackarachnia, who was somewhere between a bot and a gargantuan spider, stepped forward.

She was hauling along a young human man in her metal pincers, who was somewhere in his mid to late twenties, and who was putting up a good yet futile fight to escape.

He had blonde-bleached hair, a day's worth of stubble on his jaw, a handsome, angular face, an impressive physique, and overall, he would have been considered quite dashing—were it not for the look of utmost terror that twisted his features, in addition to the way he flailed his arms and legs wildly about like a child in the middle of a tantrum.

"Hey—let me go!" he protested in a loud voice. "Come on, I'm an American citizen, for Pete's sake!"

Blackarachnia said not a word, only dragged him up to Megatron, where she dropped him rather carelessly onto the ground. Then she stepped back, while he scrambled to his feet.

"What gives?" the young man demanded, as he brushed himself off. "What in the name of—" His words quickly faltered and died on his lips when he looked ahead, and saw Megatron. His already bulging eyes bulged even wider, were such a thing possible, and his whole face went stark-white. He stood like a statue, unable to move a muscle.

Though he could see little more than Megatron's silhouette, given his position, the two crimson orbs that glowed sinisterly were enough to assure the young man that he was not dealing with just anyone, that this thing—whatever it was—was not something to be messed with.

Slowly, Megatron moved forward, taking deliberate, unhurried steps that resonated deafeningly throughout the chamber.

The man would have run for his life, but his feet were glued to the floor. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't make a sound. He felt as if he were trapped in the middle of a bad horror movie.

Megatron stopped altogether within three paces of his captive, and there, his titanic figure was a little better illuminated. Somehow, he looked worse in the light than he did in the dark.

The young man let out a faint sort of squeak, like a mouse being trodden upon.

For the first five minutes or so, nothing happened. Finally, Megatron ended up being the one to break the ice. "What is your name, young human?"

From the way he said it, it was not a question. It was an order.

The man could not speak. He was so terrified at the moment that he hardly even _remembered_ his own name.

"Speak up, fool!" Starscream barked at him.

The man jumped a mile, unable to hold back a slight scream. In a small, pathetic tone, he responded, "B-Brandon. M-my name i-is B-Brandon, sir. Brandon Muller."

"Brandon Muller," Megatron repeated slowly, almost thoughtfully.

Glancing about apprehensively at his surroundings, Brandon said timorously, "Hey…what is this? Some kind of weirdo, sci-fi convention?"

To himself, he muttered, "I must have had one too many beers at the bar."

As Megatron was not one to idle about, or to engage in mindless talk, he went straight to the heart of the matter. "Brandon Muller," he said, "I have a job for you."

"A job?" This perked Brandon's interest, in spite of himself. "Oh, great! I've been meaning to get a new job lately. I have excellent references—"

Ignoring the young man's babbling, Megatron inquired, "Tell me, Brandon, are you familiar with the All-Spark?"

Brandon stared up at him incredulously. "Say what?"

"Have you heard of the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime?"

Again, Brandon looked nothing short of baffled. "The what-bots, led by who?"

Megatron decided to try another tactic. "Do you know Melly Manchester?"

At last, a look of recognition appeared on Brandon's face. "Oh, _her_," he said. "Yeah, sure, I know all about her. She used to be my girl." His countenance darkened, and there was an edge of bitterness to his voice as he went on, "I gave her the best four years of my life. I gave her everything. But, apparently, it wasn't good enough for her. _I _wasn't good enough for her."

"Enough," Megatron cut him off. He was in no mood to hear reminiscences of some bygone romance, and furthermore, this was neither the time nor the place to do so.

At the brusqueness of Megatron's tone, Brandon shut up at once, like a clam about to be dropped in a boiling pot of stew.

"Now, then, Brandon," said the Decepticon lord, "listen closely, for I will only say this once. I need the All-Spark, which is currently in the possession of the Autobots. Your so-called 'girl', who fraternizes with the Autobots on an almost daily basis, ought to have some idea of where the Spark is stashed. You are to follow her around, see if you can find out from her just where they are keeping it. Once you do, you are to steal the Spark, and bring it to me. Is that simple enough, for you? Do you think you can handle such a task?"

Somehow, Brandon found the nerve to demand, "What's in it, for me?"

"Your reward is your life," Megatron answered coolly. "It may not be much, but people with half my generosity would hardly consider such trifles."

Realizing that this big guy wasn't joking in the slightest, Brandon gulped.

"Make sure to never tell Melly, or anyone else for that matter, what you are up to as you are going about your task," Megatron went on. "Understand? Not one word."

"And don't even think about trying to run away," Starscream butted in. "Because we have ways of tracking our victims down."

He leered menacingly at Brandon, who never hesitated to back a few steps.

"Thank you, Starscream," said Megatron, without the least hint of gratitude. "But I'll handle this."

Though Brandon was scared half to death, there was yet a streak of defiance in him. "Hey," he said, securing the attention of all else present, "I'm not a puppet on strings, you know! I'm not some kind of dog, out to fetch something. Why send _me_ to do your dirty work? If you want the crummy All-Star thing, or whatever you call it, so badly, why don't you get it yourself?"

Megatron could have easily obliterated Brandon on the spot for that cheek, but the Decepticon lord decided to take it easy on him, at least this one time.

Besides, the boy had an excellent point, there.

"Our previous attempts to claim the All-Spark have proven futile." Though Megatron spoke quietly, there was no mistaking the cold contempt in his voice, or the blazing fury in his face. "Extreme precautions have been executed, to ensure that the Spark remains out of our reach. It has become greatly problematic, practically impossible, for a Decepticon to lay hands on the Spark." Then, at last, Megatron actually smiled, though the smile didn't suit him at all. It was a smile that boded great ill will, one that made the hairs on the back of Brandon's neck stand on end. "However, you, being smaller and stealthier than any bot could ever be, could slip past their safety measures more easily. I highly doubt they'd suspect a mere mortal like you, anyway."

"So, you expect me to hunt down this Spark doohickey, and then act like Agent Double-O-Seven and break into these guys' hidey-hole to nab it for you?" Even to Brandon, this seemed way out of whack. Shaking his head furiously and holding up his hands in refusal, the young man declared, "Oh-ohh, no! Forget it, man! I sure as heck ain't _that_ stupid! You totally got the wrong guy, dude." While Megatron listened uninterestedly to the tirade, Brandon steamrolled on, "There's _no _way I'm risking my neck for a bunch of freaks of nature, like you. No sir, not for anything!"

Turning on his heel, he finished with, "You can forget the so-called 'deal'. I'm making like a banana, and splitting—"

But before the young man had taken three steps, his captors quickly intercepted him. In less time than it takes to blink, almost all of them brandished a number of deadly weapons on the spot, including several fusion cannons and a sonic sword, and aimed them directly at Brandon. No one moved after that; they wouldn't attack fully unless Megatron gave the word, but the mere sight of the weapons and how the Decepticons could very well use them were enough to make Brandon sing a different tune.

There was a moment of dead silence in that chamber; you could easily hear a pin drop.

"You were saying?" said Megatron impassively, from where he stood.

Brandon needed no further persuasion.

"On second thought," he said, looking back at the Decepticon lord and offering a pretentious smile, "never mind! Forget what I'd said before; I think your proposal is a swell one."

"Then we have come to an understanding of one another. You _will _retrieve the Spark for me."

"Sure, piece of cake! I can be very sneaky, when I want to be." Brandon held up his right hand, as if to swear to it.

"Good," said Megatron, and he signaled for his minions to withdraw their weapons.

Just as Brandon was about to take his leave again, Megatron stopped him once more. "Allow me to give you fair warning, boy," said the Decepticon hulk. "Should you fail me—" He did not use words to clarify, but instead showed Brandon what he meant by abruptly seizing hold of Starscream. Starscream gave a slight start of surprise as Megatron grabbed him by his front and lifted him up into the air, with little effort. Megatron then hurled the big robot across the chamber with all his might, straight into a massive pile of machines and equipment.

Starscream uttered a short yet piercing scream as he sailed through the air, then there was a deafening crash that shook the very ground, followed by a brief yet intense flash of light.

All of the other Decepticons recoiled as they watched, even Shockwave.

Brandon shut his eyes and hid his face in the crook of his elbow; then, when the light died down and silence settled, he very slowly dared to look up again. Starscream could not be easily distinguished from the scrambled heap of junk, and Megatron merely dusted off his hands, one against the other, his face never showing the least particle of remorse.

Brandon never said a word as he and Megatron exchanged one final glance, but Megatron knew he got the picture.


	2. Chapter 2: An Old Flame

**REDEMPTION OF THE ALL-SPARK**

_Presenting chapter 2! I'm nothing short of pumped to have this thing updated at last! I'm very, very pleased with the way this chapter turned out, and I have a surprise for you all! Read to find out what it is. As always, spare me the flames when you review. __ Believe me, it's not as easy to write about Transformers as it sounds. I'd like to see you try it.  
_

**

* * *

Characters (with exceptions) © Hasbro and Entertainment Rights**

**Story © unicorn-skydancer08**

_**All rights reserved. **_

**

* * *

Chapter 2: An Old Flame  
**

"Where's Melly?"

"Out on a date, with Blurr," answered Sari Sumdac, the teenage techno-organic daughter of Dr. Isaac Sumdac, who at that time was engaged in a fast-paced, high-tech video game.

Bumblebee, the young black and yellow Autobot, who was the one questioning Melly's whereabouts, said, "_Another _one? But they already went out last night—and the night before that!"

Without taking her eyes off the monitor, Sari said, "Well, don't look at me, Bee. I've had nothing to do with it."

Bee sighed, and shook his head. While he understood Melly's feelings for Blurr perfectly, he wished his human friend would take some time to hang out with the rest of their gang, for a change. Ever since Blurr had come to stay with them on Earth, Melly hardly seemed aware that anyone else even existed. The girl and the blue speedster had become especially close-knit with each other after Blurr was salvaged when Shockwave deliberately crushed him into a cube, and Melly helped put him back together. These days, the two were practically inseparable.

As he sank down onto the cool concrete floor next to Sari, Bee murmured, "What does Melly even see in that big blue bot, anyway? He's not exactly her type, you know."

"Do you think that matters to her?" a voice with a sophisticated British drawl cut in just then.

Both Bee and Sari simultaneously turned their heads in time to see Prowl saunter into the room, looking remarkably well, all things considered.

During their last battle with Megatron and the Decepticons, Prowl had surrendered his life spark in order to help vanquish Lugnut Supreme and restore the All-Spark. However, rather than allow their friend to die, each Autobot, including Optimus Prime and even Bumblebee, transplanted a tiny fragment of their own sparks to him. In this way, Prowl was able to retain his life.

It was a debt he knew he could never repay, though everyone claimed they'd done this to repay _him _for sacrificing himself for their sakes.

As Prowl continued to approach Bee and Sari, the tall, black ninja bot went on philosophically, "Melly does not care who Blurr is, or what he is, or where he comes from. She makes no distinction. In her eyes, all she sees is the one she loves, and who clearly loves her in return. Who are you to determine whether or not those two ought to be together?"

Bee felt a twinge of annoyance in his hard drive at that last bit, while at the same time the young bot experienced a pang of guilt.

He knew Blurr was good to Melly, and surely Melly needed someone good in her life, especially after all she'd been through.

Bee understood that the girl had lived a difficult life.

Melly's mother disappeared from her life when she was very young, leaving her father to raise her and her older brother alone. When she was in school, while she was an outstanding student with excellent grades, she had no real friends, and her schoolmates used to tease and torment her unmercifully. Melly never went into much detail about what they did to her, but it was obvious she'd endured just about everything. When Melly was in college, she'd met and fallen in love with Brandon Muller, easily the handsomest and most popular guy on the campus.

The two had gone steady for three years, much to the dismay and resentment of all the other girls. For a time, Melly found herself drifting above cloud nine, thinking she had everything she could ever hope for, everything to make her happy—until things took an unpleasant turn. Brandon's morals took a nosedive; he started getting into awful habits. He became a major drug addict, and he drank like a sailor. Either it was the result of these bad substances, or something inside him just snapped, Melly wasn't sure; but Brandon began to get rough with her.

He controlled virtually everything she did, and if she didn't do exactly as she was told, when she was told, she faced serious trouble. Brandon forbade her from seeing and speaking to other guys, and he forced her into things she was very uncomfortable with. On top of all that, he became increasingly violent with her. When he was in a particularly foul mood, he knocked Melly around until she was bruised and bleeding, and she could hardly sleep at night and had to wear long-sleeved clothing to her classes just to cover up the ugly marks.

To this day, Melly still displayed a few notable scars on her body, bearing evidence of her mistreatment.

To make a long story short, Melly was forced to get help from the police. Brandon was quickly arrested and taken away, and a restraining order was initiated.

After that, Melly was wary of falling in love again, and understandably so.

But then she met Blurr, and somehow the fast-moving, fast-talking, slightly eccentric Autobot was able to melt her defenses. Though Blurr was rather cool toward the girl in the beginning, he eventually softened, and now he and Melly went together like icing on a cake. Now, they spent practically every waking moment together.

They just never seemed to get tired of each other, or to get enough of each other.

"Just you wait until _you _start liking someone, Bumblebee," said Prowl, cutting into Bee's reverie. "One of these days, you'll find yourself falling in love, and then you'll know how it feels and you won't be so skeptical of other people's emotions." He paused for just a second, before he added shrewdly, "I, for one, am looking to that day with great anticipation."

Sari saw the look of chagrin that crossed Bee's face, and was sure that, had her friend been human, he would be blushing red-hot right about now.

The truth was, deep down in his circuits, Bee already harbored feelings of admiration and affection—towards Sari, of all people. The young yellow bot never would have expected to fall for his best friend, but Sari had changed since he'd first known her, and not merely in physical appearance alone. Bee didn't know how to explain it, but there was something about Sari that piqued his interest. Of course, he knew better than to say a single word of this. If he did, his friends would never let him hear the end of it.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Detroit, Blurr and Melly were enjoying their little "date" together.

At that time, they were alone on a small outcrop on top of a hill, where they had a gorgeous view of the city, and they could watch the sun as it went down and see the stars come out at the same time. With the soft shades of gold, orange, hot pink, blue, and violet blending together, and with the gentle swirl of clouds and the sprinkle of stars on top, it all gave off the impression of one great cosmic sundae. Blurr was parked near the edge in his sleek car form, and Melly sat cross-legged on top of his hood, enjoying a can of fresh lime soda.

Down in the city, it was constant bustle and noise, but out here, it was peaceful and quiet. A delightfully warm breeze caressed Melly's skin, like soft fingers. Melly loved it, and sincerely wished that she and Blurr could somehow remain like this forever. She took another swig from her can, allowing the tangy flavor of the pop to wash over her tongue.

When she'd swallowed, she sighed contentedly. "Ahhh…nothing like a can of Luscious Lime to top off a perfect day," she said.

"And that premium oil really hits the spot," Blurr's satisfied voice sounded from the car. "It really makes my engine purr."

Melly smiled. "This is great, Blurr. Just the two of us together, with this beautiful view and nothing to worry about—I almost hate to go back home."

"Who says we _have_ to go back?"

"Well, yes, but you know how much we're both needed back there. Besides, our friends would miss us."

Melly paused briefly, before asking, "Speaking of home, what about yours, Blurr?"

Of course, she couldn't see Blurr's face at that time, but when the blue racer spoke to her, his voice was soft and tender.

"My home is where_ you_ are, Melly."

Melly was touched. She thought back to that day in Cybertron, not so long ago, when they'd defeated the Decepticons and Blurr was acknowledged for playing his part. Not only did he help to alert Cybertron of Megatron and the Decepticon invasion, but he also helped to bring Shockwave to light, who'd served as a spy within Cybertron's very gates, risking his own life in the process. As a way of honoring Blurr for his heroism, the Elite Guard wished to make him head of Cybertron Intelligence. It was possibly the greatest honor any Autobot could hope to receive.

Even so, Blurr declined. He told the Elite Guard he wished to remain on Earth, with Optimus Prime and his crew—and with Melly.

While Melly was sorry Blurr had given up such a prominent position, she was glad and thrilled that he would rather stay with her. However, it was not a total loss. When Blurr refused the initial offer, the Elite Guard decided to appoint him as a First-Class Surveillance Officer for Earth, instead. In this way, he got to be with Melly, while yet retaining a significant status.

"You're so sweet, Blurr," Melly said, giving the car a benevolent pat. "I love you."

"And I love you," he replied.

"How much?" the girl gently teased.

"Beyond the outermost precincts of the entire universe."

Melly gave a hearty laugh. "Well, okay, then," she grinned, "that's good enough for me!"

She then lay back against Blurr, so that she was facing the stars that twinkled overhead, and let herself slowly relax.

Just as she was on the verge of dozing off, however, another voice cut into the scene.

"Enjoying the sights, are we?"

In that instant, Melly's good mood was gone, like a brick thrown at a stained-glass window.

Her stomach gave an unpleasant twist, and her mind groaned, _Oh no…_

She knew that voice. Sure enough, when she sat upright, Brandon, her ex-boyfriend, was right there. He was leaning casually against Blurr, with one hand on top of the hood. Though it was a warm night, he was parceled up in a heavy black motorcycle jacket. His jeans were also solid black, and on his feet, he sported black boots with silver chains hanging down the sides.

He looked as handsome as ever, despite his drug and alcohol usage.

Even from where she was, Melly could clearly smell fresh alcohol on his breath. The cloying odor of cigarettes was evident as well.

"Brandon!" she said. "What—what are you doing here?"

"That's a question I ought to be asking _you_, babe," he countered.

Melly frowned at him as she slid off Blurr's hood. "I thought I saw the last of you, five years ago."

"The cops gave me a break. I'm now free of the joint."

"You know you're violating your restraining order, Brandon. You know you shouldn't come anywhere near me. After what you did to me, you shouldn't even breathe the same air as me!" Melly started to climb into Blurr's interior to leave, but no sooner had she opened the side door than Brandon abruptly slammed it shut again.

"Whoa, whoa," he said nonchalantly, "not so fast there, sweetheart."

"Go away, Brandon! Leave me alone!"

"Chill out, honey. I just want to talk, is all."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Sure, there is. For starters, what's this I've been hearing about you hanging around a bunch of robotic dudes? Autobots, I believe they're called?"

"I don't think that's really any of your business," said Melly coldly.

"My business is your business," he retorted.

"What's it to you where and with whom I spend my time? I'm not your property, Brandon. I can do whatever I want and see whomever I please without your consent."

As if the girl hadn't spoken, Brandon plowed on, "And what's this about you having a fling with one of these guys? Is it true that you've got a _robot _for a new boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Melly said defiantly, crossing her arms in front of her. "So what?"

"'So what'?" There was a note of danger underlying Brandon's tone. "You mean to say you prefer some big old pile of junk to _me?" _

Melly shot back, "This so-called 'pile of junk' you're referring to is named Blurr. And yes, I very much prefer him to you. At least _he's_ got respect for me. At least_ he_ knows how to treat a woman."

Brandon's bright green eyes flashed ominously. "Say it ain't so!"

"Oh, it's 'so', all right," she said, unable to resist jeering a little.

Quick as a snake lashing out at its prey, Brandon's hand shot forth and caught Melly firmly by the wrist.

Immediately, Melly fought to free herself. "Let go of my arm!"

"I don't think so, sweet cakes," Brandon countered.

Melly pulled and twisted with all her might, but Brandon's grip was like a vise. "I said, let _go _of me!" the girl was now shouting furiously.

But Brandon continued to hold fast to her. "You're mine, you ungrateful daughter of a—" He called Melly a disgusting name that could only be heard in a sleazy movie, or in a seedy bar. "Do you hear me? And I don't let go of what's mine!" With that, he clamped down his hold even more, so that his sharp nails were digging painfully into Melly's skin.

Still, Melly continued to thrash against him. "Blurr, help me!" she ultimately found herself saying.

In a flash, the blue car resumed its robot shape. Before Brandon realized what was going on, Blurr snatched him by his jacket and lifted him completely off the ground, with no effort at all. The contact between Brandon and Melly was instantly broken, and Melly lost her balance and fell over backwards, resulting in her glasses flying off her face.

"Whoa—_hey!_" Brandon exclaimed, in genuine surprise and terror, as Blurr continued to lift him higher.

Once Melly managed to locate her glasses again, she checked them carefully to make sure they were not broken or cracked in any way before she put them back on. Then she looked up, and even though she was expecting it, she was surprised to see Blurr standing there, holding Brandon at his level, with Brandon's legs flailing helplessly in midair.

Blurr held Brandon between two fingers, as if the guy were something infectious.

"Hey!" Brandon cried again. "Put me down!" Just as Melly had done, he struggled to free himself, despite the fact that he was facing a very dangerous drop.

Blurr's glowing blue optics narrowed contemptuously as he regarded Brandon.

"Well, well," the blue bot said, "this is a most unpleasant surprise." As Brandon gaped at him, looking genuinely nervous, Blurr went on, "Looks like everything Melly told me about you is true, after all. I thought she might be exaggerating, somewhat. But after what just happened, it's clear you're everything she said you are—and even more so."

"H-hey, man," said Brandon shakily, well aware of what Blurr could do to him, "take it easy! I-I was only kidding!"

Blurr was never fooled for a minute.

"Well, here's a bit of friendly advice for you, buddy," he said, in a tone that was anything but friendly. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep away from my Melly. Come within even a mile of her again, and you'll have me to deal with. Lay so much as a finger on her again, and I'll give you a medical bill so high, it will take you the rest of your life to pay it off."

His optics seemed to burn a hole in Brandon's brain. Brandon could feel a thin trickle of sweat running down his left temple, and he swallowed hard.

Though the blue racer wasn't half as big and intimidating as Megatron or any of the other Decepticons, he could still easily squish Brandon like a bug, or pitch him like a baseball.

After a long, intense moment, Blurr finally let Brandon go.

He started to lower him carefully to the ground, but then, about ten feet off the pavement, he abruptly released his hold and allowed Brandon to drop like a stone the rest of the way down. Brandon gave a short, sharp cry, then he grunted loudly as he took a rather painful landing, very nearly landing on his face. It was a miracle he didn't break anything.

Unsympathetic, Blurr stood over the young man as he lay there in a groaning heap, and commanded him, "Now, beat it!"

Brandon didn't need telling twice.

Ignoring his shooting pains, he scrambled to his feet and scurried away into the deepening twilight, like a terrified mouse fleeing a hungry cat, never once looking back.

Within seconds, he disappeared from sight. When Blurr was sure he was gone, he now turned to Melly, and his countenance softened.

"Are you all right?" he asked mildly.

"Yes," said Melly, managing a smile, "I'm all right."

The blue bot reached down to her, and very gently scooped her up from the ground, where he held her tenderly in his big servos, the way a mother cradled her child. Melly huddled up against his wide chest, nestling her cheek against the cool metal, the best way she could hug him. "Thank you, Blurr," she whispered fervently. "Thank you."

"Are you sure you're all right? That creep didn't hurt you, did he?"

Melly's sore arm throbbed, as if in reply.

"Well, he just about tore my arm out of its socket," the girl said ruefully, "but otherwise, I'm perfectly fine. I'm only glad you were there, before it could get really ugly."

Blurr smiled, and began to stroke Melly lovingly with his large white fingers.

"Don't worry," he said, in a voice that was as soothing as his touch, "you're safe, now, Melly. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Tears welled in Melly's eyes, but she was smiling herself.

"You are always looking out for me, Blurr. What did I ever do to deserve someone like you?"

Blurr said nothing, but he knew Melly didn't expect him to answer. He often wondered the same thing, himself: what did _he_ do, to deserve someone like Melly?

The only thing he knew for certain was that, when it came to loving Melly, Brandon was out of luck.

His loss was Blurr's gain.


	3. Chapter 3: Last Chance

**REDEMPTION OF THE ALL-SPARK**

_Here's chapter 3! It's surprisingly short, but at the same time very gripping, especially at the end. When you have finished, be so kind as to leave me with a lovely review, or two, or possibly three! __  
_

**

* * *

Characters (with exceptions) © Hasbro and Entertainment Rights**

**Story © unicorn-skydancer08**

_**All rights reserved. **_

**

* * *

Chapter 3: Last Chance  
**

"Brandon, you imbecile!" Megatron censured the young man, when he contacted him a short time later, via the comm link, and found out what had happened between him, Melly, and Blurr. "You just had to go and stick your nose in where it didn't belong, did you? You nearly spoiled everything!" Brandon, who'd recovered from his ordeal by that time, scowled at the reprimand. It was already bad enough that Decepticons took him hostage, forced him against his will on a suicide mission, and that Melly was involved with a crazy blue bot, on top of everything else.

"Give me a break, man," he shot back at Megatron. He wouldn't have dared spoken this way to the Decepticon lord if he were right in front of him, but the distance between them made him feel bolder. "Can I help feeling this way, if my girl throws me away for some dude who's really nothing more than two tons of scrap metal, who just tried to kill me?"

Megatron gave a growl of frustration.

"I told you before, Brandon—your focus is on the All-Spark! How many times must we go through this? The girl and your past relationship are of no importance!"

"That's easy for you to say," Brandon answered sourly. "You just don't understand. None of you guys can possibly understand what it's like, to go through something like this."

On the other side, Megatron forced himself to be calm. Blasting Brandon for his stupidity would get them nowhere. As he had just said, the All-Spark was the more pressing matter. "Listen, boy," Megatron said, when he was sure he could keep his voice cool and steady, "I might be willing to make a slight alteration in our little bargain."

"What do you mean by that?" said Brandon skeptically.

"Give me the All-Spark, and in exchange, I'll give you the girl."

"Seriously?" Brandon hardly dared believe his ears.

"Of course. Once you've completed your first task, Melly will be yours." Sensing Brandon's apprehension about Blurr and the other Autobots, Megatron added, "And don't worry about the Autobots. We'll take care of them ourselves. We have some unfinished business with those miserable, low-life dregs, anyhow."

"Do you mean it?"

"Since when do I say things I don't mean, boy?"

Of course, Brandon hadn't even known Megatron personally for very long, so he wasn't sure whether to take his word for it.

"So, do we have a deal?"

After thinking about it for one more minute, Brandon conceded. "Okay," the young man said, "you talked me into it, bud. I think I may know a way to pin down this Spark thingamabob."

"And, Brandon?" said Megatron, just before they disconnected.

"Yeah?"

"This is your last chance."


End file.
